ADDIS ABADA, Ethiopia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ZTE, a leading global mobile device maker, announced last week that it
has signed double Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion
over 10,000m, Haile Gebrselassie, as its official smartphone brand
ambassador for Ethiopia. Alongside this announcement, ZTE also confirmed
the Ethiopia availability of two of its best-selling 4G LTE devices –
the ZTE Grand S2 and ZTE Blade S6.

“We are thrilled to welcome Haile Gebrselassie as our official
smartphone brand ambassador for Ethiopia – a truly inspirational figure,
both locally and worldwide,” said Kan Yulun, CEO of EMEA & LATAM, ZTE
Mobile Device, and Vice President of ZTE Corporation. “Ethiopia is an
important market for ZTE and we are keen to step up our marketing game
here. By doing so, we hope to further raise awareness of the ZTE brand,
as well as engage with local customers on a new level, allowing us to
better understand local needs.”

“I’m very thrilled to become ZTE’s first ever brand ambassador in Africa
and represent the brand here in Ethiopia,” said Haile Gebrselassie. “I
look forward to working with ZTE and engaging with Ethiopian customers
through the innovative range of products that ZTE is soon to launch
here.”

On a global level, ZTE is committed to transforming its consumer image,
having changed its logo and branding earlier this year. Over the last
few years, ZTE has been building up its brand visibility across the
globe by engaging with customers through a number of sports marketing
initiatives. In the US, ZTE is the official smartphone sponsor of three
NBA teams: the Houston Rockets, New York Knicks and Golden State
Warriors. ZTE is also partnering with other athletes across the globe,
including Toronto Maple Leafs hockey player, Joffrey Lupul, and Filipino
professional basketball player, James Yap.

Over the next two months, ZTE plans to launch two of its best-selling 4G
LTE smartphones in Ethiopia – the ZTE Grand S2 and ZTE Blade S6, priced
between 8000-8500 Ethiopian birr. It will also offer other entry-level
4G hardware, such as the 4G Ufi, 4G CPE and 4G dongle for its Ethiopian
customers.

The availability of these new devices follows the recent launch of Ethio
Telecom’s 4G service in the country’s capital, Addis Abada. ZTE intends
for its best-selling premium devices to address local demand for
high-speed data and voice services, at a price affordable to local
customers.

About ZTE Mobile Device

ZTE Mobile Device is a division of ZTE Corporation, a global
telecommunications equipment, networks and mobile devices company
headquartered in Shenzhen, China. ZTE is a publicly traded company
listed on the Hong Kong and Shenzhen stock exchanges.

ZTE is one of the global leaders in the mobile handset manufacturing
industry in the world, offering a complete range of mobile devices,
including mobile phones, tablets, mobile broadband modems and hotspots
and family desktop integration terminals.

ZTE has strategic partnerships with 47 of the world’s top 50 carriers.
Additionally, ZTE ranked No.1 in PCT patent applications according to
the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) in 2011 and 2012.
For more information, please visit: www.ztedevice.com